Lawsuit pending on Michigan's domestic partner benefits ban

In a Feb. 16, 2013 photo, Doak Bloss, left, and Gerardo Ascheri prepare dinner in their Lansing, Mich., home. Ascheri lost his health insurance after a 2011 Michigan law ended benefits for domestic partners in school districts and local governments. Bloss, his partner, works for Ingham County. Ascheri now buys a more expensive plan with less coverage. A federal judge in Detroit has not made a decision yet in a lawsuit challenging the law, more than six months after hearing arguments. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

DETROIT (AP) — More than six months after hearing arguments, a federal judge hasn't made a decision in a lawsuit challenging Michigan's ban on health insurance for domestic partners in public schools and local government.

The 2011 law is having an impact. Gerardo Ascheri of Lansing is paying $460 a month for insurance after losing benefits through his partner's employment with Ingham County. He's also driving to the Detroit area three times a week where he certifies piano teachers, partly because the job helps cover the bill.

Ascheri says he feels like a "second-class citizen."

The American Civil Liberties Union says a handful of school districts offered domestic partner benefits, along with Ingham County, Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo. The ACLU is asking Detroit federal Judge David Lawson to declare the law unconstitutional.

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